Writing machine



July 14, 1925.

JQ vo. SEIFERT WRITING MACHINE Filed March 2, 1922 Patented July 14, 1925.

JOHN 0. SILIIFER'I, OF AUBURNDAIiE-FLUSHING, NEW YORK.

WRITING MACHINE.

Application filed March 2,1922. Serial No. 540,390.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN O. SEIFERT, a

I citizen of the United States, and a resident of Auburndale-Flushing, in the county "of Queens, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Writing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates totypebar actions for typewriting machines, and it is the principal object of the invention to provide a typebar action in which there is a compact arrangement of the parts which is reliable and efficient in operation, and in which a forcible impression making movement of the typebars and the making of uniform and clear impressions is combined with a light actuating touch of the operating key levers, together with the elimination of the noise incident to the impression making action of the typebars, or y the impingement of the impression making devices against the platen.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved mounting of the typebars and connection of the same with operating key levers whereby the typebars by the depression of the key levers are moved from their normal position of rest at an accelerated speed and brought to rest with the type carrying ends of the bars adjacent to the printing point and from such position under forcible pressure moved to the printing point or impingement against the platen.

In typebar actions as heretofore constructed wherein the typebars in the operation thereof are brought to rest at a point out of contact with the platen due to a toggle connection of the typebars with the key levers, the typebars are pivotally mounted in a fixed support at the end opposite to the type carrying end, such pivotal point being the center of an arch in which the printing point lies, and the key levers are connectedto the typebars at the ends opposite to that at which the impression making type are carried. In such constructions the typebar is brought tov rest when the parts of the tr ggle connection are exhausted or brought in line and to impart the impression making movement to the typebar the momentum of the typebar is depended upon to whip the type carrying end of the typebar to impingement against the platen, or by the snapping of such end toward the platen by the springing of the typebar, to effect the printing. It will be obvious that by such constructions and arrangements of parts that the making of the successive impressions uniform and clear is doubtful unless a powerful and uniform pressure is applied to the operating key levers.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above disadvantage and uncertainty in making uniform and clear impressions by so constructing and arranging the mounting of the typebars and the connection thereof with the key levers whereby upon the actuation of the key levers by a light touch pressure thereon, the typebars are brought from a position of rest with the type carrying end of the typebar adjacent the printing point but out of contact with the platen, and from such position positively and under forcible pressure moved to the printing point. For this purpose the typebars are pivotally mounted upon carriers which are in turn pivotally mounted upon a fixed support and. the typebars have a toggle connection with the operating key levers, whereby upon the actuating of the key levers the typebar carriers are operated by the connection of the key levers with the typebars to move the typebars toward the printing point until the toggle assumes an exhausted or straight line position when the movement of the carriers is arrested, the parts being so constructed and arranged that the typebar will be in position with the type carrying end thereof adjacent the printing point when the toggle is exhausted. However, the inertia of the typebar imparted thereto by the movement of the typebar carrier, as well as the inertia of the typebar and key lever connection, will cause the typebar to swing upon its pivotal connec tion withits carrier in a direction to move the typebar carrying end forward to the printing point due to the connection of the typebar with the key lever.

In the drawing accompanying and forming a part of the specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a type bar action for typewriting machines embodying the .present invention, only so much of the other parts of the typewriting machine being shown as is essential to an understanding of the invention, and showing the parts in the normal position of rest. 0

Figure 2 is a view slmilar to Figure 1, showing the parts in full line in'position with a type bar brought to adjacent the Similar characters of reference designate like parts throughout the different views of the drawing.

' In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing key levers l are pivotally mounted or fulcrumed at 5 at their rear ends in a fixed member extending transversely of the frame workof the machine, designated in a general way by F, and 1n- -eluding side members between which members the type bars and their actuating mechanism, as well as the other mechanism of the machine are mounted. The forward ends of the key levers t are guided in a comb 6 which comb also serves as a stop to limit the movement of the key levers.

Type bars 7 carrying impression making devices at their ends are pivotally connected at a point between their ends, as at 8, to one end of carriers or arms 9 pivotally mounted or fulcrumed at 10 at their opposite ends to engage in slots of a segment which is preferably constructed of two sections 11, 12 to facilitate machining and secured together in a one piece structure by screws 13, the segment being fixed at its opposite ends in the framework of the machine. I

The type bars 7 have a toggle connection with the operating key levers, and are pivotally connected at the ends opposite to the type carrying ends to one arm 14 of hell crank levers pivotally mounted at 15 in the segment section 12 to engage in slots therein.v The other arms 16'of said bell crank levers are connected by links 17 with one arm 18 of a second set of bell crank levers pivotally mounted in slots of a fixed member 19 extending transversely of the machine, the other arms 20. of said latterlevers being arranged with a slot 21 for the engagement of a pin 22 extending laterally from the key levers 4. The parts are normally maintained in position of rest shown in Figure 1 with the type carrying end of the type bars engaging upon a circular support 23 and the key levers engaging the end wall of the slots in the comb 6 by springs 24 connected at bne end to the key levers and theother end connected to the links 17.

The arrangement of the toggle connection between the typebars and key levers is such that when a key lever is depressed its asso ciated type bar carrier will be actuated to move the connected type bar to position with the type carrying end adjacent the printing point as on a platen 23, shown in a diagrammatic manner, with a heel 25 at the type carrying end of the type bar cooperating with a guide 26 with the parts in a position as shown in full lines in Figure :4, This movement of the'type bar by its carrier due to the connection of the type bar with the key lever is an accelerated movement for the major portion of its travel tr'om the type 'b'arrest"? tc its position adjacent the printing point and is brought to rest in such latter position. In this position of the members the pivotal connection 8 of the type bar with its carrier and the pivotal connection of the type bar with the lever arm 14, as well as the pivotal connections of the link- 17 with the other arm 16 of said lever and the one arm 18 of the other bell crank lever, these connections being in the nature of a double toggle, will be in a straight line position with the pivotal support 15 of the bell crank levers 14, 16 or with the toggle exhausted, this toggle arrangement in this position of the parts opcrating to arrest the movement of the type bar as shown in full llnes in Figure 2,

with the type carrying end thereof adjacent the printing point. However, the inertia or momentum of the movement of the typebar will cause the pivotal connections of the toggle to overthrow and thereby the connection of the type'bar with the lever arm 14: to rock the type bar upon its pivotal connection with its carrier 9 thereby imparting a short movement to the type carrying end of the type bar in a direction toward and impinge the impression making device against the platen, and this impingement of the impression making device against the platen owing ,to the leverage of the. type bar due to the arrangement and construction of the pivotal connections of the type bar with its carrier and the lever arm 14: will be positive and under forcible'pressure assuring a uniform and clear impression upon the actuation of the successive key levers. While the movement of the type carrying end of the type bar to the printing point is in an are having a short radius, and the distance the type bar travels from the position at which the movement thereof is arrested adjacent the printing point by its carrier to impingement against the platen is relatively short, the type carrjying end is so arranged on the type bar t at when the type are in impression making position-and in contact with the platen the face of the type is substantially tangent to the periphery of the platen.

As the type carrying end of a type bar is brought to the printing point the arm 16 of its bell crank lever is brought int-o engagement with a yielding stop 26 mounted to lie adjacent to and engage a recessed portion of the segment section 12 with the result that the impingement of the impression making type against the platen is a yielding one, thereby eliminating any possibility of making a noise by the impact of the type against the platen. This stop 26' preferably comprises rubber tubing which is mounted in position by a wire 27 engaging therein and bent to circular shape to conform to the shape of the segment with the ends bent as shown at 28 to extend in front of the segment and arranged with loops at the extremities for the passage of screws 29 threaded into segment section 11. By this arrangement the stop or buffer 26' may be readily removed for renewal of the same.

While the movement of the type bars is arrested as they approach the printing point, this does not interfere with the speedy action of the type bars as by the particular construction and arrangement of the slots 21' in the lever arms and the key lever pin 22 connection therewith the movement of the typebar stroke is slow as it starts from the rest 7. The speed of the type bar, however, is quickly accelerated until the type bar approaches its position adjacentthe printing point shown in Figure 2 and the toggle connection approaches its straight line or exhausted position when the movement of the type bar is quickly though gradually arrested.

By the arrangement of the resilient stop or buifer 26 as the lever arms 16 engage therewith they are caused to quickly recede therefrom and cause the type carrying ends of the type bars to quickly recede from the printing position, and the speedy return to the position of rest upon the support 23 is assured by the arrangement of the return springs 24 connected to the toggle links 17 and the key levers, the initial portion of this return movement being an ac-' celerated one which is gradually retarded as'the type bars approach the support 23 due to the engagement of the key lever pins 22 with the lever arm slots 21 moving toward the pivotal support of the bell cranklevers 18, 20 and engaging with the angular or curved portion of said slots 21, and which also tends to prevent rebound of the type bars from the support 23 with the resultant possibility of colliding with a successively actuated type bar.

As stated, thetype bar carriers 9 are pivotally mounted in a segment with the result that the pivotal points of support of the carriers 9 are in an arc of circle with the ends of the are arranged at the highest point at opposite ends of the machine whereby the successive pivotal points of the carx rlers outwardly from opposite sides of a central point of the segment are at successively and progressivelyjncreasing height from printing position and the final portion of said central point. The pivotal support of the bell crank levers 14, 16 is also arranged in an arc which corresponds with the arc of the support of the type bar carriers and the pivotal points of support of the successive levers outward from the center of the segment progressively increase in height in the same ratio as the pivotal points of support of the type bar carriers. To compensate for this varying height of the bell crank levers 14, 16 in the connection thereof with the bell crank lever arms 18, which latter levers are pivotally supported in a horizontal plane extending transversely of the machine the arms 18 of said latter lever outwardly from the center of the machine are progressively increased in length and are bent laterally-to arrange the pivotal connection of the links 17 therewith in line with the pivotal connection of said links and bell crank lever arms 16. To cause the respective bell crank levers 18, 20 to be moved equal distances upon the actuation of the respective key levers the arms 20 of said levers are also extended with the slots 21 arranged therein to be progressively increasing distances from the pivotal support of said bell crank levers 18, 20 and the pins 22 correspondingly arranged upon-the key levers. It will be obvious that by this ar- 'rangement the key levers may be depressed equal distances though the bell cranklever arms 18, 20 of the respective levers are of difierent lengths equal movement will be imparted to the respective bell crank 1 levers.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description of the invention and the illustration thereof in the drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative of the invention and not in a limiting sense and that variations of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention.

\ Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. In a typewritingmachine, the combination of a typebar, a pivotally mounted arm connected to the typebar between its ends, a pivotall Y mounted bell crank lever one arm of whic is connected to the end of the typebar, a key lever, a second bell crank'lever,

a link connection between one arm of each of the/bell crank levers, and a key lever operatively connected to the other arm of the sec- 0nd bell crank lever, said connection of the key lever being arranged to accelerate the initial movement of the typebar toward the its movement to position of rest.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a typebar, a pivotally mounted arm pivotally carrying the typebar between its ends, a pivotally mounted bell crank lever having one arm connected to the typebar, a key lever, a toggle between one arm of the bell crank lever and the key lever, and a spring between the key lever and the toggle connection thereof with the hell crank lever to return the key lever and typebar to initial positions.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combi-' nation of a typebar, an arm pivotally' mounted at one end and pivotally connected at the opposite end-to the typebar between the ends thereof, a bell crank lever one arm of which is pivotally connected to the end of the typebar opposite to the type carrying end, a key lever, and connection means between the key lever and said bell crank lever including a link connected at one end to the other arm of said bell crank lever and an accelerated lever connected to the key lever and to which the other end of said link is connected; said accelerating lever being operative to cause the bell crank lever to move the typebar carrying arm at an accelerated movement from the position of rest and gradually to a position of rest with the typebar in position with the type carrying end adjacent the printing point and cause the typebar to move upon its carrying arm through inertia to printing position,

i. in a typewriting machine, the combination of a typebar, an arm pivotally mounted at one end and pivotally connected at the opposite end to the typehar between the ends thereof, a bell crank lever one arm of which is pivotally connected to the end of the typebar opposite to the type carry-- lever, a second bell crank lever to one arm.

of which the other end of the link is connected, and a pin and slot connection between the other arm of said latter bell crank linger and the key lever for the purpose speci 5 in a typewriting machine, the combina tion of a typebar, a carrier for the typebar pivotally connected thereto between the ends, a bell crank lever one arm of which is pivotally connected to the end of the typebar opposite to its type carrying end, a key lever, connections between the other arm of the bell crank lever and the key lever operative upon the depression of the key lever to actuate the typebar carrier to move the typebar with the type carrying end adjacent the printing point and move the typehar on its carrier to move the type carrying end to the printing point, and a yielding member with which said bell crank lever co-operates for the purpose specified,

Signed at the city of New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 1st day'of March, 1922.

JOHN o. stirrer. 

